Mobile device cover with display module

ABSTRACT

A mobile device case or cover can include a display module that can display notifications or other useful data to users. The display module can communicate wirelessly with the mobile device to obtain notifications. In addition, in some embodiments, the display module can communicate with a secondary mobile device (such as a phone in a user&#39;s pocket) to obtain notifications or other data.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.14/207,515, filed Mar. 12, 2014, which claims benefit under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/779,696, filed on Mar.13, 2013. The above applications are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entirety and are to be considered a part of thisspecification.

BACKGROUND

With each new generation, portable electronic devices provide greaterfunctionality and have more capabilities. These portable electronicdevices allow people to play and record music, send and receive e-mail,send text messages, browse Web pages, make phone calls, play and recordvideo, take and view pictures, edit documents, and much more. Thesedevices continue to revolutionize the way people interact, learn,connect with other people, conduct business, and find information. Theyhelp people manage their daily lives and can be a source ofentertainment. These devices can be used to store valuable informationincluding personal information, such as phone numbers, financialinformation, private photos or videos, and favorite music tracks.

Typically these devices are intended to be carried or moved about. Assuch, these devices are more vulnerable to damage as compared tonon-portable devices. Portable electronic devices are more likely to beaccidentally dropped, hit, or scratched. While some types of damage maybe cosmetic (e.g., scratches), other types of damage may ruin or limitthe functionality of the device. Often these devices contain sensitiveand fragile components (e.g., screen, camera lens, flash memory,processors, accelerometers, and sensors). Accidentally dropping thedevice could render various features unusable. Accordingly, protectivecases are often used to protect these devices from possible damage.

SUMMARY

For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantagesand novel features of several embodiments have been described herein. Itis to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages can beachieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the featuresdisclosed herein. Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodiedor carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage orgroup of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otheradvantages as can be taught or suggested herein.

In certain embodiments, a mobile device assembly includes a mobiledevice case that includes a case that can at least partially cover afirst mobile device and a display module coupled with the case. Thedisplay module can include a first display separate from a seconddisplay of the first mobile device. The display module can wirelesslyreceive data from one or both of the first mobile device and a secondmobile device and output the received data for presentation to a user.

In other embodiments, a mobile device assembly includes a mobile devicecase that includes a mobile device case that can be detachably coupledto a mobile device and a display module coupled with the case. Thedisplay module can receive data from a mobile device separate from thedisplay module and output the received data for presentation to a user.

Further, in various embodiments, a method of using a mobile device casecan include listening, with a display module of a mobile device case,for notifications from a mobile device implementing a casesynchronization application, receiving a notification from the casesynchronization application, and outputting the notification to adisplay of the display module.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Throughout the drawings, reference numbers are re-used to indicatecorrespondence between referenced elements. The drawings are provided toillustrate embodiments of the features described herein and not to limitthe scope thereof.

FIGS. 1A and 1B depict embodiments of a mobile device case coupled witha mobile device.

FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of the cover shown in communicationwith a secondary mobile device.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict example block diagrams illustrating embodimentsof mobile device and a case display module.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example power connector for connecting the casedisplay module to the mobile device.

FIG. 5 illustrates example software components of a mobile device forcommunicating with the case display module.

FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of a notification display process fordisplaying notifications on a case display module.

FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment of a general data display process fordisplaying data on a case display module.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate example user interfaces of a case display syncapplication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Introduction

In addition to protecting a mobile device, protective cases or coverscan also enhance the functionality of the mobile device. Many cases, forinstance, include a kick-stand or fold into a shape that permits themobile device to be propped up into a more comfortable typing position.Other cases can hold a stylus when a stylus is not being used by a user.

One problem with cases in general is that they tend to cover up themobile device display. This is indeed a major purpose of a protectivecase—to protect the display. In doing so, however, the case may obscurethe display or a portion thereof, sometimes preventing a user fromreceiving useful or important notifications or information. A mobilephone, for instance, may be in silent mode and receive a call. If thephone is inside a case or is otherwise covered, the user may not noticethe incoming call. Out of courtesy to others, users often cover theirmobile devices during meetings and therefore potentially miss importantnotifications or other useful information that would ordinarily bedisplayed on their mobile devices. Cases also serve the purpose ofconcealing potentially confidential or personal information from publicview. However, in doing so, other information useful to the user is alsoconcealed.

This disclosure describes embodiments of a mobile device case or coverthat includes a display module that can display notifications or otheruseful data to users. The display module can communicate wirelessly withthe mobile device to obtain notifications. In addition, in someembodiments, the display module can communicate with a secondary mobiledevice (such as a phone in a user's pocket) to obtain notifications orother data. Specific information or data may be displayed on the displaymodule of the case, while other information on the mobile device mayremain concealed by the case.

II. Example Case Display Modules

FIGS. 1A and 1B depict embodiments of a mobile device case 100 that canat least partially cover, at least partially surround, or otherwise becoupled with, a mobile device 102. In FIG. 1A, the mobile device case100 includes a display module 110 disposed on the outside of the case100. This display module 110 can include a hardware display, such as anLCD or LED display (or other visual, audio, and/or tactile display),which can display or present or provide notification of any of a varietyof messages or data to a user of the mobile device 102. The datadisplayed by the display module 110 may provide the user with at least aportion of the information that may be accessed with the mobile device102 without having to open the case 100 to view a screen 111 (see FIG.1B) of the mobile device 102.

In certain embodiments, the case 100 may be a hard case or a soft case.If the case 100 is a hard case, the case 100 may be made of aluminum,plastic, carbon fiber, or some other hard metal or synthetic materialfor protection of the mobile device 102. The case 100 may also be a softcase made of a leather or composite material that is more flexible thana hard case but which still may protect the mobile device 102. The case100 can be a folio like case or the like that includes a flap 100 thathinges open at a fold or crease 103 in a soft cover case (see FIG. 1B)or on hinges in a hard cover case. Alternatively, the case 100 mayinstead be a sleeve into which the mobile device 102 is slipped into andslipped out of. Cut-outs in the case 100 may be provided where helpfulto provide user access to charging ports, buttons or other input/outputdevices of the mobile device 102. The case can also include both hardand soft materials, for example, with a hard exterior case for shieldingfrom impacts and soft interior lining to absorb impacts.

The mobile device 102 may be a tablet, combination laptop/tablet,computer, a mobile phone, laptop, an e-reader or electronic book reader,a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable game device, a musicplayer such as an MP3 player, a portable digital recorder or Dictaphone,or any other portable electronic device that can benefit from beingprotected by a case such as the case 100.

In FIG. 1A, the display module 110 is on the outside of the case 100 andmay be viewed more easily when the case 100 is closed. In contrast, FIG.1B depicts the display module 110 on the inside of the case 100, whichmay be viewed concurrently while viewing the screen 111 of the mobiledevice 102. As shown in FIG. 1B, the case 100 can include a holder forreleasably securing the mobile device 102 to the case 100. Desirably,the case and/or the holder define an envelope within which the mobiledevice 102 is positioned. For example, the holder 107 may comprise arecess and overhanging grippers 109. Alternatively, the holder 107 maysimply comprise a releasable fastener such as a snap or a hook and loopfastener or may be comprised of a bezel or other known retention means.In either configuration, the display module 110 can depict or presenttext, audio, and/or images obtained from the mobile device 102 or from adifferent device, such as another of the user's devices that is notcontained within the case (see e.g., FIG. 2 below).

In one embodiment, the display module 110 includes a wireless module(see FIG. 3) such as a Bluetooth (including Bluetooth Low Energy) or802.11x (Wi-Fi) module that can communicate wirelessly with the mobiledevice 102 or with another device. The wireless module may be anelectronic circuit or the like or may also include software or firmwarefor managing wireless communications. Software on the mobile device 102or other device can synchronize or otherwise communicate with thewireless module in the display module 110 to provide data to the displaymodule 110 or to receive data from the display module 110 for depictionon the mobile device 102.

Example types of data that may be useful to output to the display module110 include notifications from applications running on the mobile device102. Some examples of this data include messages such as text messages,e-mails, voicemails and the like, phone information such as informationregarding whether a call has been received, regarding whether avoicemail has been received, a phone number obtained through caller IDor the like, or any portion thereof. In addition, applications otherthan messaging applications on the mobile device 102 may provide datathat could be output to the display module 110. One example of such datais song titles that may be output related to a music player applicationrunning on the mobile device 102 and which are currently being played bythe mobile device 102. Similarly, a playlist of songs could be displayedon the display module 110, from which a user may select a song forplayback by the mobile device 102. Further, really simple syndication(RSS) feeds or other web feeds may be displayed on the display module110. In some embodiments, when data is not being received from themobile device 102 (or even when data is being displayed), a company logoor logos may be displayed on the display module 110. For example, acompany may purchase cases 100 for its employees and request themanufacturer or provider of the cases 100 to include the company's logoon the display module 110 as, for example, a screen saver or the like.

In some embodiments, the display module 110 can show a text and/or imageticker that scrolls horizontally or vertically. However, the text neednot scroll on the display module 110 but may instead appear in a singleposition on the display.

In addition, the display module 110 includes a button 120 adjacent tothe display of the display module 110 that can enable interaction withthe display module 110. The button 120 is omitted in FIG. 1B but mayalso be included in some embodiments in the configuration of FIG. 1B,for example, next to the display of the display module 110 on the insideof the cover 100. The button 120 may be used to perform any functionsresponsive to user pressing of the button 120. For example, the button120 can be used to turn the display module 110 on or off or to select anoption on the display module 110, for example, to scroll to the nexte-mail or the next song or the like. Further, the button 120 can be usedto pair with wireless modules in the mobile device 102 and the displaymodule 110, as is common with Bluetooth devices, for instance. Otherexamples of functionality that may be provided by the button 120 aredescribed in greater detail below. In another embodiment, the displaymodule 110 is touch sensitive, omitting the use of a button 120 or beingused in addition to the button 120.

It should be understood that, in various embodiments, the case 100 isnot merely an integral cover portion of a flip-phone or clamshell phone.Rather, in certain embodiments, the case 100 is detachable from themobile device 102 or at least more detachable than a cover portion of aflip-phone or clamshell phone, which typically could not be removedwithout a tool.

In some embodiments, the display module 110 may include audio, such as aspeaker and/or a microphone. The speaker may output the same or similarcontent as may be output by the display of the display module 110, andthe microphone may receive voice commands from a user that can be usedto interact with a case sync application in the mobile device 102 (seeFIG. 5).

Turning to FIG. 2, another embodiment of the cover 100 is shown coveringa mobile device (not shown), such as the mobile device 102. The cover100 again includes the display module 110 and the optional button 120.In the depicted embodiment, the display module 110 is communication witha secondary mobile device 230 that is physically separate from the cover100. For example, the wireless module in the display module 110 cancommunicate wirelessly with the corresponding wireless module in thesecondary mobile device 230.

The secondary mobile device 230 can be a second device other than themobile device covered by the cover 100. In the depicted embodiment, thesecondary mobile device 230 is a phone such as a smartphone or the like.However, any type of mobile device can be a secondary mobile device 230that communicates with the display module 110. Further, the secondarymobile device 230 need not be a mobile device in some embodiments, butinstead can be a desktop computer or the like.

One exemplary use, includes the use of the case for communicatingbetween a secondary mobile device 230 and the display module 110 incircumstances which the user has both a cell phone and a tablet (orother mobile device) covered by the cover 100 or vice-versa. Such a usermay be in a meeting and have the cover 100 covering the tablet so as notto disturb or appear to disturb the meeting. In addition, such a usermay have his or her phone, e.g., the secondary mobile device 230, in hisor her pocket on silent mode to avoid disturbing the meeting. However,it may be important or useful for the user to be notified when a call orother message comes through on the phone or secondary mobile device 230.The user may be unable to receive such a notification if the device isin the user's pocket or the display thereof is turned off, even if thedevice is sitting on the desk or table next to the user.

Thus, in certain embodiments, the device 230 can send notifications andother data to the display module 110, enabling the user to be notifiedof phone calls, messages or other information without turning on adisplay of the secondary mobile device 230 or even removing such adevice 230 from the user's pocket.

Further, in other embodiments, both the mobile device 102 and thesecondary mobile device 230 can communicate wirelessly with the displaymodule 110 to provide notifications and other data.

Turning to FIG. 3A, an example block diagram is shown that illustratesexample components of a mobile device 302 and a case 100 having a casedisplay module 310 that is capable of being in communication with themobile device 302. The mobile device 302 is an example of the mobiledevice 102 described above, and the case 100 is an example of the casedescribed above.

In the depicted embodiment, the mobile device 302 includes a display308, a processor 312, a wireless transceiver 314, a power supply 316 anda connector 318. The components of the mobile device 302 have beensimplified to show some example components. Other components may beincluded in some embodiments, while some of the components shown may beomitted in other embodiments.

The display 308 of the mobile device 302 may be a touch screen displayor the like (or a non-touchscreen display). The processor 312 can be aphysical computer processor (or processors) that include one or morecores or processor components, which can process data received to andfrom the display 310. For example, the processor 312 can include orimplement applications that provide data and notifications to a user viathe display 308. Such applications can be stored in a memory device (notshown). For instance, the processor 312 can implement a phoneapplication, an e-mail application, a text message application, a musicplaying application, or a video game, among many other examples.Further, the processor 312 may include a synchronization or syncapplication (see, e.g., FIG. 5) that can control the behavior ofsynchronization of notifications and data with the case display module310.

A wireless transceiver 314 in communication with the processor cancommunicate wirelessly with a corresponding wireless transceiver 322 inthe case 100. Both the wireless transceivers 314 and 322 may includehardware, software, and/or firmware that implement Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,ZigBee, or any other wireless standard or protocol(s). The dataprocessed by the processor 312 and the mobile device 302 may be providedto the wireless transceiver 314, which communicates this data, includingnotifications or other data, to the wireless transceiver 322 of the casedisplay module 310.

The case display module 310 includes the wireless transceiver 322, aprocessor 324, a display 326, an input device 328, a connector 330, anda power supply 332. The wireless transceiver 322 can receive data fromthe wireless transceiver 314 of the mobile device 302 and pass this datato the processor 324. The processor 324 may have all the functionalityof the processor 312 or a subset thereof. In one embodiment, theprocessor 324 may be a lower-cost processor than the processor 312 withfewer features. For instance, the processor 312 may be an 8-bit or16-bit processor, although other types of processors 324 may be used inthe case display module 310.

The processor 324 can output the received data on the display 326. Thedisplay 326 is an example of the display of the display module 110described above. The display 326 can be an LCD display, an LED display,an OLED display, a touch display, a non-touch display, or the like andmay be combined with an audio output from a speaker incorporated withinor on the case or a speaker of a mobile device in communication with thecase display module 310 of the case 100. The input device 328 is incommunication with the processor 324 and may be the button 120 describedabove. Alternatively, the input device 328 may be more elaborate andinclude multiple buttons or other user input devices. The input device328 can receive user input and provide this input to the processor 324.In turn, the processor 324 can process the user input and cause acorresponding output to be provided to the display 326. For instance,the received input may cause the processor 324 to cycle an output of anext received message on the display 326. In another embodiment, theinput received causes the processor 324 to transmit the input or aprocessed version thereof to the mobile device 302 via the wirelesstransceiver 322. As an example, the input received may be a request toplay a song, and the processor 324 can send a request for the song tothe mobile device 302.

In some embodiments, the processor 324 of the case display module 310may be omitted. Instead, data received from the wireless transceiver 322can be provided directly from the wireless transceiver 322 to thedisplay 326. Further, data provided from the input device 328 may beprovided directly to the wireless transceiver 322 for transmission tothe mobile device 302.

The power supply 332 in the case 300 can power the other components ofthe case 300, including the wireless transceiver 322, processor 324,display 326, and/or input device 328. The power supply 332 may include abattery or the like and/or optionally a solar panel that can be chargedby the sun or other light source and may be located in proximity to thedisplay 326 on the same panel of the case 100 or remote on a differentpanel of the case 100 or a stand-alone component. The power supply 332may be connected to or placed in electrical communication with aconnector 330, which can mate with the connector 318 in the mobiledevice 302 via a cable 319. The connector 318 is further incommunication with the power supply 316 in the mobile device 302. Incertain embodiments, the power supply 316 can charge the power supply332 in the case 300 via the connectors 318, 330 and the cable 319. Thecable 319 may be a universal serial bus (USB) cable or the like (see,e.g., FIG. 4) that can provide power between the mobile device 320 andthe case 300. Further, in some embodiments, the connectors 318 and 330are in communication with the processors 312 and 324 to provide data toand from the mobile device 302 and the case display module 310, as willbe described in greater detail below.

Turning to FIG. 3B, another block diagram is shown that shows anembodiment of the mobile device 302 and the case display module 310. Thecase display module 310 is also in communication with a secondary mobiledevice 304 that is an example of the secondary mobile device 230described above. The secondary mobile device 304 includes a display 342,a processor 344, and a wireless transceiver 346. The processor 344 mayimplement any of the programs or applications described above withrespect to the processor 312. For instance, the processor 344 mayinclude a sync app that can control syncing behavior with the casedisplay module 310 (see also FIG. 5). The wireless transceiver 346 cansend notifications or other data from the applications from theprocessor 344 to the wireless transceiver 322 in the case for display onthe display 326. Likewise, input from the input device 328 may bewirelessly transmitted from the wireless transceiver 322 to the wirelesstransceiver 346 of the secondary mobile device 304. This input may beused to retrieve information, change settings, select options, orotherwise interact with the secondary mobile device 304 in the same orsimilar manner as may be done with the mobile device 302.

Turning to FIG. 4, another example embodiment of the case 400 is shown.The case 400 can include any of the features of the case 100 describedabove. The case 400 is shown in an open configuration, with a mobiledevice 402 coupled with the case 400. In this embodiment, the mobiledevice 402 is a tablet computer, although other types of mobile devices402 may be coupled with the case 400. Further, an example display module410 is shown in phantom. The example display module 410 can include anyof the features of the display module 110 or 310 described herein. Thedisplay module 410 is shown in phantom because the display module 410 ison the outside of the case 400. However, the display module 410 couldalso be on the inside of the case 400 in other embodiments (see, e.g.,FIG. 1B). Thus it is contemplated herein that one or more displaymodules could be located on the outside and/or inside of the case 100.In order to conserve battery life and/or power, the display 110, 326 maybe controlled by the processor and/or an application to dim or be turnedoff when not in use or after a period of time after presentingnotification or other information or data.

A power cable 422 extends from the display module 410 on the inside ofthe case 400 to the mobile device 402. The cable 422 connects to a USBcable connector 432, which may be a male USB connector that connects toa matching female connector in the mobile device 402. The connector 432is an example of the connector 330 described above with respect to FIGS.3A and 3B. The connector 432 may be a mini-USB connector, micro-USBconnector, or full-size USB connector, among other types. Other forms ofconnectors may be used other than USB for the connector 432 including,for example, Lightning connectors, serial connectors, parallelconnectors, or the like. In an embodiment, the cable 422 can be thin andflexible and may be tucked in the case 402 with minimal protrusion. Thecable 422 may also be sewn into the case 400 in one embodiment so as tobe partially or fully hidden from view.

The cable 422 can facilitate power transfer between the mobile device402 (or other power source) and the display module 410. In addition, asdescribed above, syncing may be performed between the display module 410and a mobile device (e.g., 402) through the cable 422. Syncing may beperformed without wireless functionality in an embodiment. Thus,wireless functionality may be omitted from the display module 410 and/orthe mobile device 402. In some embodiments, some syncing or datatransfers may be performed between the cable 422 and the mobile device402 even if wireless functionality is still employed by the displaymodule 410 to communicate with the mobile device 402. For example, thecable 422 may be used as a service access mechanism for software on themobile device 402 to update software/firmware in the display module 410or to otherwise perform maintenance on the display module 410.

III. Example Case Display Sync Application

Turning to FIG. 5, example software components of a mobile device 602are shown. The mobile device 602 is an example of any of the mobiledevices described above, including a mobile device that is coupled witha case or a secondary mobile device that communicates with the case. Themobile device 602 includes a case sync application 610, apps orapplications 620 and an operating system 630, among possibly othersoftware components. The software components shown may be implemented inphysical computer hardware, such as the processor 312 or 344, a memory,and/or the like.

The case sync application 610 can communicate with the apps 620 and/orthe operating system 630 to receive notifications and/or other data thatmay be provided by the case sync application 610 to the displaydescribed above. As described above, various apps 620 (such as messagingapps, games, weather apps, music player apps, or the like) can providedata and/or notifications to the case sync application 610. Thesenotifications or data can include messages, texts, incoming phone calls,voicemails, e-mails, instant messages, chat requests, weatherinformation and/or alerts, traffic alerts, twitter feeds, Facebookfeeds, other social network feeds, game updates, web updates, newsupdates, RSS feed updates and/or the like.

Some notifications may also come from the operating system. Someexamples of such notifications might include a low battery warning forthe mobile device 602, lost or gained 3G or 4G signal or other wirelesssignal status indicator, Wi-Fi status indicator, a Bluetooth statusindicator, a GPS status indicator, and other status indicators. Theseindicators may instead come from the apps 620 in some embodiments.

The case sync application 610 can output one or more user interfacesthat enable a user to configure notifications that are sent to thedisplay module of the case. The case sync application 610 can alsoprovide functionality for a user to add a customized message or messagesto be displayed on the display. For example, one such custom message canreflect a user's mood. A user might be able to type in, for instance,that he is in a good mood or a bad mood and have this informationdisplayed onto the case display. Instead of requiring a user to type insuch information, the case sync application 610 may instead providebuttons, drop down boxes, or other user interface controls that providereadily-available templates or sample messages that a user can selectfrom to be output to the case display. For example, contact informationof the user or owner of the case or mobile device such as name,telephone number, address, email address, web address or link etc., Byway of another example, information regarding heath metrics such ascalories burned, steps taken, heart rate, speed may also be communicatedto the display module 310.

IV. Example Case Display Processes

Turning to FIG. 6, an embodiment of a notification display process 600is shown. The notification display process 600 can be implemented by anyof the case display modules described above. At block 602, a Bluetooth(or other wireless) connection is initiated between the case displaymodule and the mobile device. At block 604, the case display modulelistens for notifications from the case sync application in the mobiledevice, such as the case application 610 described above. If anotification is received from the application, at block 606 the casedisplay module can output the notification at block 608. Otherwise, theprocess 600 loops back to block 604, where the case display modulecontinues to listen for notifications from the case sync application inthe mobile device.

Similar to the process 600 of FIG. 6, FIG. 7 illustrates a general datadisplay process 700 that can be implemented by any of the case displaymodules described above. At block 702, the case display module againinitiates a Bluetooth (or other wireless) connection and listens fordata from the case sync application and the mobile device at block 704.This data can include information other than notifications, someexamples of which are provided above with respect to FIG. 6 (among otherexamples). At block 706, if the data is received from the application,the data is output to the case display module at block 708. Otherwise, aprocess 700 continues to listen for data from the case sync applicationat block 704.

V. Example Mobile Application User Interfaces

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate example user interfaces 800, 900 of the casedisplay sync application described above (see, e.g., FIG. 5). These userinterfaces 800, 900 are merely examples and may be varied in severalembodiments. Each of the example user interfaces 800, 900 shown isdepicted as being output by a mobile phone 802, which is an example ofthe mobile devices described above. The mobile phone 802 may have atouch screen or the like that allows a user to select user interfacecontrols via touch or a stylus, or a combination of the same. However,it should be understood that the user interfaces 800, 900 need not beimplemented in a mobile application on a mobile phone in someembodiments. Instead, in some embodiments, the user interfaces 800, 900can be implemented in a web browser or in any device such as a tablet,laptop, or the like. Further, the user interfaces 800, 900 can beimplemented in a web browser on a mobile phone as well.

In FIG. 8, the user interface 800 is an example of a customnotifications screen displayed on an example mobile device 802. Theexample mobile device 802 is a phone in the depicted embodiment. Theuser interface shown includes settings controls 810 that may be selectedby a user to control or adjust the settings of notifications that may besent to the case display. In the depicted embodiment, these settingscontrols 810 include touch interface buttons for accessing e-mailsettings, text message settings, phone settings, Facebook settings, andother settings. Other application settings than those shown may beavailable from the user interface 800 in other embodiments.

User selection of one of the settings controls 810, for example, thephone settings control 810, can result in a display of a user interfacesimilar to the user interface 900 of FIG. 9 being shown. In the userinterface 900 of FIG. 9, example phone settings 910 are shown. Userinterface controls 912, 914 for adjusting such settings are alsoprovided, including checkbox controls 912 and dropdown box controls 914.Other example user interface controls may be provided in otherembodiments. Through these user interface controls 912, 914, a user cancause incoming calls to be shown by the case display module, adjust anumber of rings to be made by the phone 802 before displaying on thecase display module, whether or not to display voicemails, and whetheror not to enter a silent ring mode automatically when the case displaymodule is detected (e.g., via a Bluetooth connection). Many otherexample settings may be made in other embodiments.

VI. Additional Embodiments

In some additional embodiments, the case and included display module cancommunicate with the mobile device or secondary mobile device while themobile device is not coupled with the case. As an example scenario, alaptop bag may be the case, and the display module may be attached to orcoupled with the laptop bag. The mobile device may not be in the laptopbag, for instance, if the bag is being used as a suitcase and not as alaptop bag. However, a secondary mobile device (such as a phone) may bein communication with the display module on (or in) the laptop bag ifthe user has a secondary mobile device in his or her possession.

The display module can also be detachable from the case and may beplaced on different cases.

VII. Terminology

Many other variations than those described herein will be apparent fromthis disclosure. For example, depending on the embodiment, certain acts,events, or functions of any of the algorithms described herein can beperformed in a different sequence, can be added, merged, or left outaltogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for thepractice of the algorithms). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts orevents can be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threadedprocessing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processorcores or on other parallel architectures, rather than sequentially. Inaddition, different tasks or processes can be performed by differentmachines and/or computing systems that can function together.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and algorithm stepsdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can beimplemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinationsof both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware andsoftware, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and stepshave been described above generally in terms of their functionality.Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or softwaredepends upon the particular application and design constraints imposedon the overall system. The described functionality can be implemented invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the disclosure.

The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented orperformed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digitalsignal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmablelogic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardwarecomponents, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functionsdescribed herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor,but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller,microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or thelike. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computingdevices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a pluralityof microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with aDSP core, or any other such configuration. Although described hereinprimarily with respect to digital technology, a processor may alsoinclude primarily analog components. For example, any of the signalprocessing algorithms described herein may be implemented in analogcircuitry. A computing environment can include any type of computersystem, including, but not limited to, a computer system based on amicroprocessor, a mainframe computer, a digital signal processor, aportable computing device, a personal organizer, a device controller,and a computational engine within an appliance, to name a few.

The steps of a method, process, or algorithm described in connectionwith the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly inhardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in acombination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory,flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, harddisk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium, media, or physical computer storageknown in the art. An example storage medium can be coupled to theprocessor such that the processor can read information from, and writeinformation to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storagemedium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storagemedium can reside in an ASIC. The ASIC can reside in a user terminal. Inthe alternative, the processor and the storage medium can reside asdiscrete components in a user terminal.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “might,”“may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments donot include, certain features, elements and/or states. Thus, suchconditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,elements and/or states are in any way required for one or moreembodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logicfor deciding, with or without author input or prompting, whether thesefeatures, elements and/or states are included or are to be performed inany particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “including,”“having,” and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively, in anopen-ended fashion, and do not exclude additional elements, features,acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or” is used in itsinclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used, forexample, to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some,or all of the elements in the list. Further, the term “each,” as usedherein, in addition to having its ordinary meaning, can mean any subsetof a set of elements to which the term “each” is applied.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in theform and details of the devices or algorithms illustrated can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the disclosure. As will berecognized, certain embodiments of the inventions described herein canbe embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features andbenefits set forth herein, as some features can be used or practicedseparately from others.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of using a mobile device case, themethod comprising: listening, with a display module of a mobile devicecase, for notifications from a mobile device implementing a casesynchronization application; receiving a notification from the casesynchronization application; and outputting the notification to adisplay of the display module.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein saidreceiving comprises receiving the notification wirelessly.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises receiving the notificationthrough a cable connected between the display module and the mobiledevice.